Legal Help:

If you discover that you are the victim of identity theft, do the following:

• Keep a log of all of your conversations, including dates, names and phone numbers.
• Request copies of all documents related to the impersonation.
• Contact the Federal Trade Commission to report the impersonation. The FTC is the federal clearinghouse for complaints involving identity theft. The FTC provides information which can help victims resolve whatever problems they may have as a result of an identity theft. Their hotline telephone number is 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). They also have a web site at www.ftc.gov.

The investigator assigned to your case can resolve issues involving the traffic or criminal court. You should work through him or her rather than attempt to contest the issue in court yourself or with an attorney. Most judges will refer you back to an investigator to resolve the identity issue before making a ruling.

If the problem involves a credit issue that cannot be resolved by your claim of identity theft, you may want to consult an attorney. You may need to seek legal action against creditors and or credit bureaus if they are not cooperative in removing fraudulent entries from your credit report, or if negligence is a factor. Call the Santa Clara County Bar Association to find an attorney who specializes in consumer law and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.